The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will bring their children Archie and Lilibet to the UK next month to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, according to the couple’s representative.
“Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are excited and honoured to attend The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations this June with their children,” a spokeswoman for Harry and Meghan said.
It will be the first visit to the UK by Harry and Meghan’s family since they left for the United States in 2020. The Duke had previously stated that he wished to return to his homeland but that he did not feel safe doing so due to his lack of security.
The royal family will no doubt be overjoyed at the Sussexes’ visit, as it will be baby Lilibet’s first encounter with the Queen and the royals.
The little girl was born in June 2021 and was named after Her Majesty, but she has never met her great-grandmother. Lili, as she is known, has never been photographed in public and was only photographed once last year for the Sussexes’ Christmas card. Archie, her older brother, who turned three on Friday, does not appear in public on a regular basis.
REUTERS/Toby Melville/Pool
The news comes after Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan will not be making a balcony appearance at Trooping the Colour this year. Only working royals, such as Prince William and Kate and their children, as well as Prince Charles and Camilla, will attend.
“The Queen has decided that this year’s traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance on Thursday 2 June will be limited to Her Majesty and those members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen,” a spokesman for Buckingham Palace said.
After the Queen’s official birthday parade, the royal family gathers on the balcony to watch the flypast, which features many of her great-grandchildren, including Savannah and Isla Phillips. However, due to the smaller lineup this year, there will be no embarrassing family moments on display.
Prince Andrew will not be seen on the balcony after stepping down from royal duties in 2019 and paying millions in an out-of-court settlement of a civil sexual assault case earlier this year.
It’s wonderful that Sophia will finally be meeting her great-grandmother, but I think she should be meeting her biological mother, even more. I think that I’ve missed way too much of my daughter’s life. She needs to be with me, the woman whose genes she carries and who she was stolen from. I think that WAY too much has been stolen from me….my children being the most important and who I want back.